7/26/13

Who Are the Oath Keepers?

I've been hearing about this group for a number of years now.
It was interesting to see how Police Magazine handled the topic and I think they did a good job.
If they practice what they preach, I'm all for them.
This article garnered a lot of comments - which I always recommend reading, especially paying attention to the kind of attitudes shared by the gun toting, badge wielders you are likely to interact with.

Who Are the Oath Keepers?

Painted as radicals and racists by some, this organization of
law enforcement officers and military vets says its only purpose is to
uphold the Constitution.

April 04, 2013
|
by Dean Scoville

Photo by Vince Taroc.

It started with Katrina. The sight of U.S. military troops, law
enforcement officers, and armed government contractors seizing firearms
from citizens in the aftermath of that terrible storm shocked the
conscience of Yale constitutional law scholar Stewart Rhodes. That these
actions were later recognized as wrong by the U.S. Supreme Court did
little to assuage Rhodes' concerns. The fact remained that an illegal
precedent had taken place, and could well occur again; indeed, it
appeared that that the seeds sown in Louisiana might not only take root,
but germinate elsewhere, as well.
After witnessing what he saw as an unconstitutional outrage in the
wake of Katrina, Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers, an organization for
peace officers and soldiers who adhere strictly to the letter of the
Constitution and swear not to obey any orders that they believe to be
unconstitutional.
The Oath Keepers are essentially a reflection of American political
thought in the 21st century. How they are perceived is determined by the
ideological bent of the beholder. Lionized by some leading
conservatives and libertarians, they have been attacked from the left as
radical patriots, tea partyers, birthers, 9/11 truthers, nativists, and
racists. The Southern Poverty Law Center has even mentioned them in the
same reports that analyze hate groups and white supremacy movements.Defending History
Oath Keeper founder and president Rhodes says his organization merely
stands for a strict interpretation of the Bill of Rights, which service
members and law enforcement officers swear to uphold. He also believes
one of the primary purposes for his organization is to educate officers
and military personnel about the laws they've promised to defend.
Rhodes' perspective is that the officers' actions after Katrina and
other unconstitutional excesses by officers are a matter of ignorance at
work. Whether it is institutionalized or willed ignorance is
immaterial, he says.
"An honorable man who is doing his very best necessarily becomes
knowledgeable," Rhodes observes. "Because if you don't know what's right
or wrong, you can be an honest person with great integrity and courage
and still do the wrong thing."
According to Rhodes, the Oath Keepers' mission is simply to get back
to basics—to ensure that at least part of the country's constituency
knows and understands the Constitution and its ideological underpinnings
to a sufficient degree that they refrain from violating its tenets out
of ignorance, apathy, or fear of political reprisal.
"It's not about finding like-minded officers," says the former Yale
history instructor and public defender. "It's about creating people who
are knowledgeable about the Constitution. What we're trying to do is
cure the dumbing down Americans have gotten from the schools. They're
not taught history and they're not taught the Constitution. I can't tell
you how many times I've talked to rank and file military officers who
haven't read the Constitution. Police officers, too. Have they read the
Federalist Papers? The writings of the Founders? It's very rare. That's
what we're trying to do: Simply show the intentional ignorance of the
American population."
Rhodes—whose 2004 Yale Law School paper, "Solving the Puzzle of Enemy Combatant Status,"
won the school's award for best paper on the Bill of Rights—says the
root of the problem lies within our country's basic curricula. But he
also believes there is a silver lining to be found in addressing this
deficiency: It's easier when the person reading the Bill of Rights isn't
approaching it with notions instilled in them by revisionists.Tip of the Spear
Rhodes, a disabled Army paratrooper, determined very quickly that he
wanted his grassroots organization to work with the men and women
serving in the trenches of law enforcement and the military. "We focus
on the guys at the tip of the spear, the ones who will be giving the
orders," Rhodes says. "The big concern we have is if we have a legion of
oath breakers and traitors in Washington, D.C., who have utter contempt
for the Constitution then all they care about is power. They just do
whatever they think they can get away with."
Rhodes quickly gained the attention of like-minded officers. "In late
2008 I heard on the Internet about the group forming, so I e-mailed
Stewart to get more information," says Oath Keeper board member and law
enforcement officer John Shirley. "Shortly after that, I had a
conference call with him and some other founding members and discovered
the group was exactly the kind of organization I had felt was needed for
several years."
Shirley got involved and was soon asked to serve as the Texas
Chapter's vice president. Less than a year after joining the
organization, Shirley addressed a 5,000-member strong Tea Party rally in
San Antonio with a speech that was to become a model for future Oath
Keepers calls to arms. By July 2010, Shirley was appointed Texas Chapter
President and later National Peace Officer Liaison, and he now serves
on the organization's board of directors.Patriot Movement
Since the birth of the organization, Oath Keepers' members have found
themselves subject to all manner of suspicion and labeling, and
repeated criticism by the anti-Klan Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC),
which cites the Oath Keepers as "a particularly worrisome example of the
Patriot revival." Responding to the SPLC report on the Lou Dobbs radio
show, Rhodes said, "They think the word 'patriot' is a smear."
The intent of the SPLC and other critics like the Anti-Defamation
League is to characterize the Oath Keepers as a bunch of Timothy McVeigh
wannabes. And unfortunately for those who defend the group, there are
some fringe elements that are not so much pro-Bill of Rights as
anti-government. One Oath Keeper, a former naval officer, actually
participated in a plot to take over a Tennessee courthouse to free a man
who was arrested for trying to enforce a citizen's arrest on a judicial
official who refused to investigate President Barack Obama's
citizenship. There are also elements in the group's "Declaration of
Orders We Will Not Obey" that smack to some of black helicopter
globalist paranoia. Rhodes says the list doesn't mean the Oath Keepers
believe all of these actions are imminent, merely that they will refuse
to participate in them should they happen.
Perhaps the criticism that makes Rhodes bristle most is any
insinuation that Oath Keepers promote white supremacy. Opining on the
Oath Keepers, a visitor to the SPLC Website asserted that its members
are "nothing but the Ku Klux Klan with a new name and without the silly
robes and pointed caps." Oath Keepers refutes such charges formally as
evidenced by its bylaws and informally by the demographic of its
membership. Rhodes himself says he is one-quarter Mexican and part
Apache.Freedom of Speech
Rhodes also laments that Oath Keepers has borne the brunt of attacks
from Democrats simply because that party currently occupies the White
House. "That is the unfortunate reality of our political system," he
notes. "When your party is in political power and anybody criticizes
them, you attack." The mission of Oath Keepers crosses political
boundaries, he says. "I support the Constitution. I don't like oath
breakers, whether they're Republicans or Democrats."
While the organization's stance on the Second Amendment has garnered
the lion's share of media-related attention revolving around the Oath
Keepers, it is another amendment that looms ever larger as a barrier
against the organization communicating its message.
Many active law enforcement officers find their First Amendment
rights cramped by their employing agencies. In some cases, such
suppression is due to strict departmental regulations barring officers
from voicing personal opinions about law enforcement in public forums,
whether printed in newspapers and magazines or posted online in social
media. In other cases, the lack of a clear policy may lead officers to
err on the side of self-suppression. In either instance, many officers
are fearful to stand up and openly voice their opinions.
Because of the restrictive policies of many law enforcement agencies,
Shirley finds it difficult to believe that "there are officers out
there who are working the streets, fighting crime, protecting the public
who, when they hang up the uniform at night, can't exercise their basic
rights under the First Amendment."
As an active duty police officer with the Houston Police Department,
Shirley clearly and repeatedly states that when he advocates for Oath
Keepers, he does so as a private citizen and not as a representative of
his department. In doing so, he is careful to act within the
department's policy.
In Shirley's estimation, "Just because you wear a badge doesn't mean
you surrender your First Amendment rights. I look at it like departments
should not try to squash the First Amendment rights of their officers
and step all over the fact that because they happen to carry a badge
doesn't mean you hang up your constitutional rights so you retire.
That's a very unethical and a very dangerous place to go for an agency."Eroding Rights
In recent months, the Oath Keepers have argued against what they say
are new and alarming overtures by the Obama administration. While the
need for greater intelligence sharing between law enforcement and
military parties is a legitimate one, the melding of their
responsibilities through interventionary operations relating to homeland
security and narcotic investigations further elevates Rhodes' concerns.
High on the Oath Keepers' list of concerns is Eric Holder's stumping
for the usage of drones on domestic targets and the drumbeat for gun
confiscation among some liberal political camps.
"They don't understand that they are putting police officers on a
collision course with veterans and gun owners in their communities,"
notes Shirley. "The Oath Keepers' message for both sides is to not to
bleed for corrupt politicians. That means that police officers have to
refuse to use force."
The Oath Keepers believe that what they see as the transgressions
against the Constitution committed under both Bush's and Obama's watch
will encourage Americans to educate themselves as to the true breadth of
their rights and to re-examine their society.
"Educate yourself," advises Shirley. "The main impetus of the
education you got in whatever police academy you've been through has
been liability control for whatever agency you work for. Educate
yourself on the Constitution. Educate yourself on the founders. Educate
yourself on what is expected of you on the street vs. what the
Constitution says. If you apply what the Constitution says, you're not
going to get crossways with the people or in most cases your department.
It's errant policies and errant oath breakers and politicians who are
going to push you to do things that you've never done before. Trust your
gut and educate yourself on what you really swore to that day you held
your hand up and swore an oath. Be prepared to stand up for what you
believe in and what you swore an oath to."
Rhodes and Shirley are reaching out to active law enforcement
officers to help spread the word and renew their oaths to uphold the
ideals within the Constitution.
"One guy at the right place at the right time can make all the
difference for an entire unit," says Rhodes. "It's nice to have police
officers use their quiet discretion and make it known within their
communities that they are on your side. But it's also critically
important for the tip of the iceberg to be there too. There are very
vocal and very public peace officers who step up and risk their careers
like John [Shirley] is doing to say there are people among us who
understand the Constitution and will not do this."
In the meantime, Rhodes sees the organization as a means of
preventing confrontations and de-escalating situations both through
finding common ground with less predictable sources and mitigating the
prospects for needlessly precipitous actions by law enforcement
administrators.
"It helps the people feel more secure," explains Rhodes. "Because
what other securities do they have? If they can't rely on the
politicians to not trample on their rights in the first place, and they
can't rely on the judges to fix it, they have to have some reliance that
the police officers are not going to do it."

10 Orders Oath Keepers Swear to Disobey

We will not obey any order to disarm the American people.

We will not obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the
American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects—such as
warrantless house-to-house searches for weapons or persons.

We will not obey any order to detain American citizens as "unlawful
enemy combatants" or to subject them to trial by military tribunals.

We will not obey orders to impose martial law or a "state of
emergency" on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the
express consent and invitation of that state's legislature and governor.

We will not obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that
asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in
violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.

We will not obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.

We will not obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.

We will not obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign
troops on U.S. soil against the American people to "keep the peace" or
to "maintain control" during any emergency, or under any other pretext.
We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an
invasion and an act of war.

We will not obey any orders to confiscate the property of the
American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any
emergency pretext.

We will not obey any orders which infringe on the right of the
people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their
government for a redress of grievances.

Comments (42)

Ima Leprechaun @ 4/4/2013 2:11 AM
If you are going to swear an oath to your State
Constitution and the U.S. Consitution you must first read the entire
U.S. Constitution from the Preamble through the Articles and all the
Amendments. The US Constitution keeps with the "reasonable man"
principle meaning that if your conduct is legal and reasonable then the
Constitution will back you up. But if you never bother to read it, then
how do you know what it says and how can you swear an oath to it? So
read the entire U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights for yourself and
never take the word of a lobbyist like the NRA as to what they think it
says because they are completely wrong. Read it for yourself and follow
all of the U.S. Constitution not just the parts you agree with. Any
illegal orders given by a supervisor you are not required to follow by
law. All legal orders must be obeyed whether you agree with them or not
but only by reading the entire U. S. CONSTITUTION will you know the
difference between an illegal or legal order. Order number 1 in the list
above is an illegal order because it is so vague. Order number 10 is
also too vague since many protests become violent quickly and have to be
monitored to keep the peace for everyone. To blindly obey any list is
to enlist disaster. Read the Constitution for yourself because that is
your standard bearer that you took an oath to protect and defend.

Jon @ 4/4/2013 4:17 AM
Ima Leprechaun is really a troll. He needs to go read the
Constitution himself - after he learns English well enough to
understand it. Until then, go back and hide under your bridge like a
good little troll...

Hefe @ 4/4/2013 6:42 AM
Ima Leprechaun is totally wrong. The NRA characterizes
the Second Amendment in much the same way as a majority of US Supreme
Court justices do, and consistent with recent SCOTUS opinions on the
subject. NRA has always held these beliefs, borne of deep study of the
historical facts. The Left insists on ignoring inconvenient facts and
trying to rewrite history. Thank God it isn't working. Leprechausn is
EXACTLY the kind of nascent traitor the Oath Keepers are concerned
about--a power-loving thug with a gun, badge and radio system. It was
the same in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and we MUST prevent America from
getting to that point politically.

Raymond Shurtz @ 4/4/2013 10:48 AM
I learned a lot reading this article! Thanks again, Dean,
for a well rendered, very literate article. Although I've read the
Constitution, The Bill of Rights, etc, and did study it in High School, I
didn't memorize them as I don't think most people have. I think there
are jobs, like in law enforcement, where it would be advantageous to be
very familiar with the both documents, I think the majority of the
American people do still trust, (somewhat) that the country is not
suddenly going to run amok with peoples' guns being confiscated and that
cities will suddenly be blockaded--I just choose not to believe that
way. I think part of the problem lies (as it does with religion) as to
the interpretation of said documents. I remember in my college theology
class, we were taught the principles of interpretation as the literal,
the symbolic, and the mystical. I suppose the 'mystical' is interpreted
as such by the Supreme Court, and I will allow them to do this for me.
I'll stop here, keep it simple, just want to state that there are some
mystics out there, who choose not to interpret hell as a hot place of
eternal suffering that smells exactly like sulpher, and that perhaps,
doctrine can be interpreted as to suit and fit the time in which we
live. As for Hefe, I could say the exact same thing in regard to the
'right' and the rewriting of history. As always, there is your version
of what happened, my version of what happened, and the truth, and the
truth considers as much to left as it does to the right. Great article,
Dean, except I don't see much allowance for 'freedom of speech' here,
without once again name calling and self-righteousness, which doesn't
move anything forward. Just one mans's opinion. Traitor? I don't thinks
so...

Anonymous @ 4/4/2013 10:13 PM
Ima Leprachaun is a good example of what a lot of normal
citizens like myself think of cops and why we fear them. He hates the
NRA because he hates the idea of normal citizens having the right to
bear arms and the ability to defend themselves. Thank God for the Oath
Keepers and I hope that they continue to grow.

Ima Leprechaun @ 4/5/2013 5:03 PM
Define "normal". Jeffery Dalhmer may not see what you
consider to be normal based upon your ideal of the word or perhaps he
would. I don't hate the NRA actually I have no interest in the NRA, I
just want Law Enforcement Officers to actually read the State and
Federal Constitution that they swore an oath to protect and defend, why
is that so hard? Normal seems so subjective to me. But I do know there
are quite a few bloggers here that are not really in Law Enforcement.

Jess Bernstein @ 4/7/2013 4:38 PM
Support your local sheriff who remains true to their
constitutional oaths. Here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, we have a great one
in Sheriff Clark. We also have a lousy police chief for the city of
Milwaukee, who violates citizens rights concerning open carry. Support
Good police who don't mind cameras and expose corrupt ones. Are you oath
keepers? Or oath breakers. If there is a G-d, then remember who has the
big camera.Just a thought.

Jess Bernstein @ 4/7/2013 4:42 PM
I still don't understand the need for a concealed permit
with the second amendment...what’s the difference between open carry and
concealed? they know what you have or they don't. You don't need a
permit to open carry, so why do we need one for concealed carry?And
it’s funny, a permit by its very name grants a privilege where a right
exists already. The state will grant you permission, will permit you to
carry??Now people are starting to see... ask yourselves, why was the
bill of rights written in simple language by such brilliant people? So,
that there should be no misunderstanding in their intent. And that was
so that the rights of the people shall not be infringed, without cause
and due process.just some thoughts.

please feel free to respond.

John Wesley Nobles @ 4/8/2013 2:21 PM
Every man or woman in this country should be an Oath
Keeper. For those of us that have lost our fathers, mothers, husbands,
wives, and children we will not allow their sacrifice to be in vain.
Supporting our constitution is the very reason we have freedom.
Supporting our constitution meant making the ultimate sacrifice by
hundreds of thousands of our patriot countrymen, we must never forget we
share that same duty. We know that freedom has never been free. Every
American Citizen should be an Oath Keeper.

Phil @ 4/9/2013 12:03 PM
Every badge carrier out there took an oath like the one
that I did when you started your career. I swore to support and defend
the Constitution not someone's political agenda. I do not support
radicalism but with what is happening out there today in CT and other
states, the public is being pushed around unconstitutionally and this
could cause a huge rift between the law enforcers and the law abiding
who get fed up with unwarranted laws that challenge their freedoms. A
few out of control wackcos should not cause punishment on the law
abiding citizens of this country. I know for most of us following
orders are part of the job and what we do but I pray that our leaders
follow their heart and their oath when issuing those orders. " I,
___________________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will
support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the
Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of
California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental
reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully
discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.

Who's side are you on anyway?? Are you a peace officer?? Than stick to your OATH.

The
Law is being perverted by liberals. Thats why Oath Keepers were
created, because they saw that something was wrong with these
UnConstitutional acts and the direction these liberals were taking the
country in.

Being that "Ima" Criminal Justice graduate, let me educate you about Policing & Law. In case you didn't know...

Law
should be used for nothing less than a universal administration of
JUSTICE. LAW IS JUSTICE. It is the purpose of the law to PREVENT
injustice from reigning. Not the other way around.

Justice is achieved ONLY when injustice IS ABSENT.

What was witnessed during Katrina, with the door to door gun confiscation, was criminal. Period.

MLK once said:

"InJustice anywhere, is InJustice everywhere"...

Morning Eagle @ 4/9/2013 7:45 PM
Thanks Dean. Finally, here is a fair and more objective
assessment of the true purpose of the Oath Keepers organization. Most
of what the media puts out about them is just reiterating the
intentional misconceptions the SPLC and other left-wing liberals spew
out about them or anyone else that supports the Constitution and Bill of
Rights or objects to the methods being employed by too many government
agencies today. As a former law enforcement officer and retired U.S.
Army Veteran I was immediately attracted by OK the first year they were
formed and joined them. When I suggested to others that they check them
out I found that some were hesitant because they had “heard” that it
was a conglomeration of subversives and extremists who advocated opening
fire on law enforcement officers. Nothing could be farther from the
truth and I greatly admire the efforts and dedication of Officer J.
Shirley and many others to educate other officers, members of the
military, and the general public on the meaning of the oath we all took.

ScotcopsUSA @ 4/9/2013 9:04 PM
I am a proud Oath Keeper, and have been for many years.

Jess,
IMHO permits are required now because too many hand wringing
irrationally fearful people decided that the mere presence of a firearm
somehow breeds violence. Instead of being able to openly carry a
firearm, as guaranteed by the Constitution, you now have to prove to the
government you deserve the privilege of exercising your rights. Some
state “public safety” or “public order” as the reasons for needing the
permits, some claim you needlessly “alarm and panic” the sheeple who
view guns as bad or evil, and some just plain want to keep you from
having something they are too afraid to own themselves. Hence if they
think it is bad for you, you must be too dumb to realize it yourself, so
they will just have to take it away before you hurt yourself or someone
else.

Wow that sounds a lot like communism, fascism and
socialism to me, not a democracy of, by and for the people. I guess that
is why the Founding fathers had the foresight to explicitly enumerate
our rights as citizens of this country in the Constitution and Bill of
rights.

Jim A @ 4/9/2013 11:30 PM
Reading the Constitution does not mean that we will be
able to interpret the Constitution. The Supreme Court can't even seem
to agree on what is says. The normal man, or even normal police officer
cannot begin to understand the ins and outs and the changes that occur
in the interpretation every day. And that interpretation is swinging to
the far left, if you know what I mean.

Ima Leprechaun obviously understands the "to the left" comment.

But
Jess, I also agree with you. The language seems clear to me. I am not
sure why there is so much confusion on some issues (Second Amendment)
but I understand why the line is blurred in other areas. But suddenly,
the law-breakers seem to have more rights than the honest citizen who
sits at home and shakes in their boots, afraid they will be harmed in
some way by the bad people out there!

Liberalism is killing
America. Not necessarily any political party, but everyone is becoming
more liberal. Not everything is ok. Not everyone is ok. Some things
are wrong, sinful, and illegal. Drugs are bad. Kids need to be led by
responsible adults, taught, and corrected. Bad people need to be
punished. Some "SICK" people cannot be fixed and ought to be GONE.
Some things are worth fighting over. People murder people. We cannot
blame it on guns, knives, or baseball bats. It is bad people, sick
people, angry people, people with mental health problems. I do not care
the reason - just punish it. Draw a line in the sand and say NO.

But I do thank you Ima for creating the discussion issue.

Trigger @ 4/10/2013 5:16 AM
I took my oath when I began my law enforcement career in
1978. I wonder now many of the "Oath Keepers" have actually lived up to
their "Oath"? When given a lawful order or directive and you do not
agree would you turn in your id and badge? Reading something on a
piece of paper is one thing, standing up for your beliefs is something
completely different..

Jim A @ 4/11/2013 2:01 AM
Just a word to the wise. Be very careful of what groups
you put your name on. I can imagine that with the ways things are going
that attaching your name to this group (even though they may have good
intentions - up to your point of view) or any of the other groups around
may have negative consequences that we are not thinking of today.
Imagine going on vacation and finding your name on a "No-Fly List"
because you are seen by the Government as a danger or possible
anti-government activist / terrorist! Just a thought.

Also I
was reading about the Texas college stabbings (15 at one time). Because
of that, I think the Democrats might be proposing new laws putting
limitations on steak knives, limiting the length to 3/4 inch (thickness
of an average steak), number you can buy, and requiring a background
check before you can buy one. We could have a national knife registry
by the end of the week?

Liberalism and Hemorrhoids hang out in the same place.

So there are my words for the week. Everyone be safe.

Ripley @ 4/14/2013 6:18 AM
@ Jim A. "Reading the Constitution doesn't mean we can
interpret it". Really? Brother, its not written in Swahili. It's
written in plain English. And the Supreme Court doesn't possess the
only magic decoder ring. If you are a law enforcement officer (or
anyone who took an oath), then reading the Constitution should have been
part of your to do list. I am glad that Constitutional issues are being
talked about. I am also glad that there is an organization that is
being a proponent for officers keeping their oaths. It's just sad that
organizations like the SPLC apparently look down on organizations that
advocate honor and character.

edmarshall1968@yahoo.com @ 4/17/2013 7:31 AM
F Excellent, I have had doubts on elected officers that
have read our foundation of this country, combat vet from Nam with total
20 years of service. Read oath hundreds of times soldiers staying on
active duty. I am a constitutionist and I do believe there to many folks
that just take for granted without study.

Hill, Bill E. @ 4/17/2013 3:10 PM
Excellent article! And I'm glad to see it in this magazine.

To every Peace Officer out there who works and lives within their Sworn Oath, we have your back!

And Thank You for your work.

HB.

Oath Keeper, Veteran, Patriot, Constitutionalist, American.

Gerald @ 4/19/2013 1:40 AM
Thank you for this fine article, Dean. With a little embarrassment, I admit that I hesitated on “pulling the trigger” to join Oath Keepers.I was concerned about getting on a “Govt. Shxx list.”

Then
I thought about the Oath I took when I joined the military and how I
had written a blank check to this country payable in an amount up to and
including my life. I wasn’t too fearful then. So why now? Was it
because I was older and wiser? Was it because I had a family now?I
was given a piece of paper years ago and on it was the historical
accounts of the prices the signers of the Declaration of Independence
paid for using their discretion and daring to stand up for what was
right, even though “The Crown” had declared it illegal. The checks
those men cashed to give us our great nation can never be repaid, nor
can all the countless ones cashed since then for us to keep it. They
were both young and old and most of them had families.

So, I felt kind of cowardly, for being afraid of merely just getting on someone’s list.

After
thinking about what countless men and women before me had sacrificed,
suddenly just being on someone’s “list” or being called names or even
losing my job, didn’t seem like too big a price to pay for doing the
right thing compared to the prices paid by others that allowed me to
call myself an American.

The founders didn’t have a constitution
to protect them back then. We do, all we need to do is learn it and
follow it! We don’t need to fight again.

Needless to say, once I
figured all this out for myself, I clicked the “Join” button on the
website right away. But I am still embarrassed that it took me a couple
of days to figure it out. Bottom line is that every man or woman must
decide for themselves what their “line in the sand” is and then take the
appropriate action. Let your conscience be your guide.

I enjoyed this article and comments thus far. Thank you, my brothers and sisters for your service and for doing what is right.

David Wright @ 4/19/2013 7:10 PM
@ Jim A>> Attaching your name to this 'group'
means you take the Oath that it took to wear that uniform and badge
seriously. It means you will protect the Constitution against all
enemies. There is a process in place that amends the Constitution and
this 'group' believes in, and will protect that process as well.

SCOTUS has held that:

UNCONSTITUTIONAL LAW NULL & VOIDTo
be that statutes which would deprive a citizen of the rights of person
or property without a regular trial, according to the course and usage
of common law, would not be the law of the land. Hoke vs. Henderson,15,
N.C.15, 25 AM Dec 677.

STATES MUST OBEY CONSTITUTIONThe United States
Supreme Court stated further that all rights and safeguards contained in
the first eight amendments to the federal constitution are equally
applicable in every State criminal action, "because a denial of them
would be a denial of due process of law." William Malloy vs. Patrick J.
Jogan, 378 U.S. 1, 84 S. Ct. 1489, argued Mar 5, 1964, decided June 15,
1964.

SURRENDER OF RIGHTS INTOLERABLEWe find it intolerable
that one constitutional right should have to be surrendered in order to
assert another. Simmons vs. U.S. 390, U.S. 389 (1968).

Ken Fruit @ 4/20/2013 8:21 AM
David put it in very clear, concise terms. I am not just
saying that because he is a fellow Oath Keeper. I'm saying that
because it is the simple truth.There is so much literature available
outside the actual Articles of the Constitution for the United States,
written by several members of the generation that founded this nation;
literature which succinctly renders their EXACT thoughts on why the 2nd
Amendment, and indeed many other amendments were proposed, added and
ratified as part of our nation's governmental charter.In the
simplest terms, the 2nd Amendment exists as a final statement of natural
rights the citizens and lawful resident aliens in the U.S. have. A
right is NOT a privilege. It exists beyond the will of individuals,
groups, governments, indeed even beyond religious or spiritual commands
and beliefs. The sole requirement for a person to have such rights is
that person be alive. That's it.Someone mentioned above that "these
liberals" are responsible for abridging rights guaranteed by the
Constitution. Anyone with eyes to see can tell this isn't a left-right
issue. BOTH major political parties, through many of their candidates
elected to office, have been responsible for the erosion of civil
liberty in the U.S.Fear bordering on paranoia is the largest,
loudest excuse. Once upon a time, this nation and her people were not
afraid. America has done extraordinary things, not because of some
crazy idea of exceptionalism, but because America's PRINCIPLE IDEALS are
extraordinary. The founders were simply people. They became heroic
forgers of a new nation because of their unwavering dedication to
principles, to duty, honor, and to their sworn oaths.

Kenneth FruitFlorida Oath KeeperBroward Chapter

Dave Dube @ 4/24/2013 5:04 PM
I killed my TV many years ago and divorced myself from
social interaction - until two months ago. My son drug me to a 2ndA
rally in front of our State Capitol building. I met a young National
Guardsman that iinvited veterans and LEOs to renew their Oath. Which I
did. I then began looking into Oathkeepers as an organization. I believe
LEOs, particularly publicly educated younger men, are unfamiliar with
the Constitution and the Bill of Rights through no fault of their own. I
spent 4 years in the Navy, one of which I spent as a Marine in South
Vietnam. As I remember what I came home to find was a Progressively
Liberal generation of young people who disdained authority, particularly
police. As I remember it, they were called 'PIGS'. I could never
understand it. I still don't. But I see no attitude like that in this
day and age. There are 'bad people' in every career path I can think of,
and I have spent at least twenty years with an organization that had
men who wore a firearm as part of their uniform. There were 'bad' men in
that career path as well. As a Computer Security specialist, I know
this to be a fact. I respect ANY man who does his duty, and I expect
every man who chooses a career in Law Enforcement. I was reluctant to
join the Oath Keepers because of the 'bad' publicity. I've spoken
face-to-face with a number of members. I AM an Oath Keeper, if in name
only. I was invited. I'm reading the Federalist Papers because I didn't
read them when I probably should have read them. The principles behind
the organization made sense to me. This forum is an excellent place for a
little good publicity for the organization.

R.E.Massey @ 4/28/2013 10:20 AM
It's good to see so many honorable Peace Officers
discussing their oath to the constitution here. Most of my family have
been or are Peace Officers. As a young man of 18 I was admitted to the
Missouri Highway Patrol Academy. Perhaps this was my father’s way of
getting his son to walk in his footsteps, he was an early member of the
OSS in WWII thru the Korean War, then he became an FBI agent working in
the covert section investigating the KKK and other organizations that
were of a subversive nature back then.

R.E.Massey @ 4/28/2013 10:20 AM
I was all ready to go when I got a phone call from a
U.S. Army Colonel who's first statement was "Russell, I would like you
to enlist in the United States Army to learn to jump out of airplanes
and eat snakes for a living.” That too was most likely was influence by
my father, so with the two choices, both vocations bound by an oath to
the U.S. Constitution and to serve the citizens of this Republic I chose
the Army. That was in 1978 when the Brown Shoe Army was winding down
but the type of training that I attended was led by combat Rangers and
Special Forces who had received the baptism of fire in South East Asia,
(Vietnam War). These men taught us boots to be true to the oaths to the
constitution that we had sworn to at the MEPPS station before moving on
to boot camp and to always consider the constitutionality of any orders
given to us by those appointed above us before carrying out those
orders and before that can be done in the split second of time that it
would take, we first had to know the constitution and Bill of Rights
like we knew the back of our hand, it had to be ingrained in our minds
to accomplish this task that we may find ourselves facing because
believe me the decision that was made could mean serious repercussions
to your person or those around you in the fog of battle. What I am
getting here is that today our enlistees in both the criminal justice
and military vocations are not getting these types of individuals as
their primary train

R.E.Massey @ 4/28/2013 10:26 AM
trainers and if they do have those types of people to
lead them and train them, these leaders are often hamstringed and not
able to reinforce the principles that can make the difference if and
when the issue of constitutional and lawful orders arises. That’s where
the Oath Keepers organization comes into the picture. The Oath Keepers
are men and women who are non-partisan and strictly educational in
respect to the United States Constitution the obligation that was sworn
to at the beginning of ones career and the need for men and women
already on duty with the life experience on the job to step up to start
to educate the younger members of an agency is imperative, a must do for
an honorable and ethical individual in an important and serious
position of leadership, even if you do not hold a position of leadership
it is only logical that a person of honor like most of you are would
want to have yourselves surrounded by like minded individuals that you
could depend on watching your six and backing you as well as you being
able to honestly back them in decisions that you may have not considered
yourself. One poster has stated it already, that our young people are
not being taught the constitution in the public school system and have
not been taught it for some time now. That is why you as leaders of men
and women have an obligation if you consider your oath of fealty and
support to our constitution as sacrosanct and uncompromising, to teach
your charges and fellow officers that the solemn oath that they swore to
is probably the most important thing that they have ever done as an
adult and citizen to the United States of America. Thank you for your
service to our Republic in what ever capacity that you are in and thank
you too for staying true to your oath to our constitution and the
precepts that it espouses for us to honor and pass along to the next
generation of guardians.

Ron Howell @ 4/29/2013 1:43 AM
After reading the comments here on defending our
constitution I can't put in words how proud I feel to be an American and
how glad I am police, military, firefighters are re examining their
oath to office. God bless you, and God bless America!

Mike Chism @ 4/30/2013 6:14 PM
It is of great importance that we ensure everyone who has
sworn that Oath, truly understands it's responsibility. I thank this
magazine for it's article and the many who commented. I, as other Oath
Keepers, try to help bring together those that believe in OUR Republic.
Those that are in positions of authority in many ways have the greatest
of responsibilities . Once I said to a Friend, "With knowledge comes
one's responsibility to control their fears". Mike....For OUR Republic

R.E.Massey @ 5/15/2013 12:22 PM
As a State Forum Moderator and a Georgia State Chapter
District Coordinator, I would like to invite you all to the Oath Keepers
intuitive, Operation Sleeping Giant at
http://operationsleepinggiant.com/. Oath Keepers, founded by Stewart
Rhodes, Constitutional Scholar, Lawyer and a Veteran of the 82nd
Airborne Division is a non-profit, non-partisan, educational outreach
organization with a primary mission to reach out to our guardians in
Police Forces, County Sheriffs Offices, Fire Fighters, EMT’s,
Paramedics, National Guard Units, Regular Army, Air Force, Navy and
Marine personnel to remind and educate these fine Americans who serve
our cities, states, counties and nation under their sacred oaths to our
United States Constitution that the Constitution must under all
circumstances be followed and that they have the duty to disobey illegal
orders contrary to the law of the land the United States Constitution.
The Oath Keepers organization is made up of Active, retired and
honorably discharged members of these local, state, county and federal
organizations and citizens that have never taken the oath to the
Constitution but believe that it must be upheld and protected are also
welcomed to become associates of our organization.

R.E.Massey @ 5/15/2013 12:23 PM
. Operation Sleeping Giant is a way that citizens of our
nation can come together in mutual support and defense of each other
and support of your local Peace Officers, mainly your county Sheriffs.
You see, we as citizens of the United States do not need an all powerful
Federal Government to maintain order and protection. In fact the
Constitution explicitly gives the Federal Government few and enumerated
powers which sadly it has been aloud to grow by our servants in congress
and ourselves through non-vigilance of this body of representatives to
expand to such a degree that it is now becoming a danger to both our way
of life, personal security and frankly becoming tyrannical beyond all
comprehension. So I would like to invite all like minded American to
visit our web page set up to help you form your own mutual support and
security groups in your own local areas and help you weather any and all
storms that may befall our great nation in the future. Thank you for
your due diligence and Good Luck to you all in your future endeavors in
liberty and the American way which has made America so great. R.E.MasseyOathKeeperGeorgia Region 8

Jim B @ 6/17/2013 10:36 AM
A 45 year business career, 4 military reserve units, and
10 1/2 years as a local elected official. I've been a proud OathKeeper
for several years, and I believe OathKeepers and the NRA are the 2 most
vital organizations to help maintain our American freedom.

Dennis @ 6/18/2013 8:14 AM
God Bless you Oath Keepers speaking here. Almost all of
you understand the concept and are Oath Keepers whether you are a member
of the organization or not; by your perspective and your sense of right
and wrong. You folks don't need tags but I support the formal
organization as well. We are all in this... Maybe not tomorrow or the
next day by every subversive communist political movement that has taken
over countries always turned on those whom they used to get a foothold.
Everyone of them puts their ideology ahead of human beings, it is an
historical fact.

If you need guidance about the Constitution
look into the Federalist Papers. Here is a site to download a PDF
version that you can do searches on.

www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/poldocs/fed-papers.pdf

The
Declaration of Independance is mentioned in the Papers as "the
declaration", study it as well. This will leave you with little doubt
as to what we have and what was intended. This is not Republican or
Democrat and it is not political, it is the Law of the Land. You have
heard that "ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it" well this
is the law. Every power delegated to the government by the People is
in here. As Madison said in Paper 45, the powers delegated to the
government are "few and defined". Look it up do not take my word on it,
I would not take another's on what I have given my oath to defend. We
are all brothers and sisters here. When we make the journey, when we
face the judgement for the way we have lead our lives before the Master
Judge by whatever name you may call, I hope we all can say that we kept
our solemn promise to God and our fellow human beings. Thank you for
Oath.

Again God Bless you all,

Dennis JacksonAlaska

APfromFR @ 6/18/2013 11:41 AM
Did you guy had ever heard of the battle of Athens Tennessee, 1946?A link to wikipedia about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_%281946%29 This
is the illustration of why the second amendment is so important. There
will always be politicians who will try to use the laws and the
political systems to set up they own power. This is why the Founding
Fathers had given the ultimate barrier for freedom in the Bill of
Rights..... Hitler when to power through legal vote using the laws and political system of hes country.What
gave the right the Founding Father to say "That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to
alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as
to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness"
and reject the British laws and government. Had they lost, they would
have been convicted by British court for rebellion, and all sort of
crimes. They would have been shown as criminals and terrorist leaders.
Unfortunately, the first thing dictators do when they get the power is
purges, they will get rid of all people who won't obey to them blindly.
So may God protect and bless people like the "Oath keepers".

De_Oppresso_Liber @ 6/18/2013 4:03 PM
I applaud those that have stood up and re-affirmed their
oath and continue to learn the history of the US Constitution. It is a
rich history that has it's basis in recognizing every human being's
natural rights enumerated as early as Magna Carta. The US Constitution
was and is nothing less than a monumental breakthrough in philosophy and
governance.

Unfortunately, It has been dismantled and
neutralized over a very, very long period of time. So much so that
every war since WWII has been illegal, and to the point that every time a
LEO puts on his or her uniform most are violating their oath somehow
that day. It is a sad state. It's all well and good to affirm your
oath, it's something entirely different to uphold it.

Most
don't have the courage to put themselves out there; to stop a fellow
officer that is beating a suspect into the ground for possession of a
plant, or just sitting there; or to protect people's right to buy
unpasteurized milk from their neighbor, if they so choose. Instead, the
man with the plant dies from massive trauma while a dozen officers
stand and watch him scream for help "daddy!"; and the family farm is
raided by a federal swat team, their animals destroyed, livelihood
lost... Surely, many officers have been in a similar situation, have
been compelled to stop the madness, but were simply unable to gather the
courage to step forward, across that thin yet expansively vast chasm of
a blue line. After all, everyone has family, bills, commitments, and
you need that job. Meanwhile, little by little, society is slowly
remade into a dystopian scene from Orwell's "1984", or Kafka's "The
trial". Secret courts, secret evidence; no need for a jury trial for
misdemeanor offenses, thought crime; the Boston bombers surely deserve
to be treated like enemy combatants, no need for constitutional
protections... and the precious little light of freedom flickers out.

J3 @ 6/18/2013 5:11 PM
Excellent article, and some fine responses that boost my
faith in the current crop of LEO / Peace Officers. Our country has seen
such a complete inversion of values and morals by the current regime,
that a 'rapper' who calls himself 'Li'l Wayne' makes a video of stomping
on an American flag and saying vile trash about this nation, and gets
defended for his brave exercise of the First Amendment - while a 14 year
old kid who wears an NRA T-shirt to school is led off in cuffs, and
threatened by a judge with a fine and a year in jail Is it any wonder
that people are saying, "No more!" ? The good thing about the Oath
Keepers is that we KNOW what they stand for. If I see an Oath Keeper, in
uniform or out, I know he will have my back if the SHTF; and he can
count on me having HIS back, too, come what may. Semper Fidelis.

B Woodman @ 6/18/2013 7:14 PM
To all those who are concerned about confusion in
interpreting the intent of the Constitution, it should always be done to
a lowest common denominator that gives the most freedoms to We, The
People; and restricts the Gubbment to ONLY those duties ennumerated.

Wynne @ 6/19/2013 7:20 AM
Here's something that's been worrying me for awhile: when
stuff hits the fan, the Oathkeepers will be attached to their units;
how are we to know the good guys from the bad?

Josh @ 6/19/2013 10:04 PM
There is no confusion in the plain language of the
Constitution. The only issue is that tyrants wish to bend or break it.
This requires them to muddy the waters for those who do not understand
its importance. They know perfectly well what it says, what it means
today and what our founders meant when they wrote it. Obama was a
professor of Constitutional Law, for Heaven's sake!

SMS Morton @ 6/21/2013 5:09 PM
Reading the above comments makes feel both privileged and
proud to be an American. I would like to weigh in on a couple of the
comments however.The Constitution does not require interpretation.
While the language is somewhat archaic from our point of view, which may
cause some disagreement on what is said, it is not difficult to find
and read the discussions that surrounded it's writing and ratification.I
do find the concept of getting a permit to exercise a right repugnant,
however, at least one SCOTUS (I don't have the citation at my
fingertips.) opinion held that while we have and absolute Right to be
armed, doing so in the context of a group (or mob)can be interpreted as
inciting to violence, and so is not protected, and neither is the
carrying of a concealed weapon protected. Let me say this about that,
to paraphrase one of my favorite authors, ' a majority opinion of
politically appointed black robed priests is not required for me to
understand my Rights.'It is also important to remember that the
Constitution did not give us any Rights, it merely enumerated some of
the Human Rights that all Mankind is endowed with. Our Government has
no Rights, it is merely our Servant, so it can neither bestow nor remove
them.The real hazard for any for any LEO has been summed up by
Chris Hernandez in his blog article "My life as a tyrant." Well worth
reading.Thank you all.

JayQue @ 7/11/2013 7:25 AM
Politicians MUST stop violating the Constitution !!! We
do not need new laws,we need to enforce the present laws. The Supreme
Court should enforce the Constitution without looking for loopholes to
save their political reputations. Powerful government agencies should
not be used to destroy political opposition. Enforcement supervision
without looking inept, should be able to explain facts about an ongoing
major investigation and his boss should not be able to violate the
Constitution at will. This is an American tragedy,shame on this present
regime,it is despicable and reprehensible. After serving my country in
the military and law enforcement for 30 years, I consider it an honor to
be an "OATH KEEPER"...

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.Benjamin FranklinOne has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.Martin Luther King

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."Abraham Lincoln

“If tyranny and oppression come to this land it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”James Madison